NEW DELHI: Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the lawyer of Sharad Pawar, on Friday rubbished Ajit Pawar’s claim to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its election symbol, the clock.
He said that Sharad Pawar is the true owner of the party and accused Ajit of making an imaginary dispute to break the organization.
Singhvi’s remarks came after a two-hour hearing at the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the first round of the Pawar vs Pawar battle over the NCP’s election symbol.
EXCLUSIVE ONLY ON THE NEW INDIAN | Pawar vs Pawar:
“Please do not freeze the clock symbol until a decision is taken on the issue.”NCP supremo Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) requests the Election Commission of India, awaiting further hearing on the party symbol issue. Next hearing… pic.twitter.com/FonKde8pTo
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) October 7, 2023
Singhvi pointed out that Ajit’s side had made two arguments that are “non-existent in the law.”
“The main part of the argument of the other side, to which we have not yet replied and will do in the future, is very interesting, quite amazing and according to me non-existent in the law,” Singhvi said.
READ MORE: NCP symbol row: Can Maharashtra’s political landscape avoid Uddhav-esque fate?
He said that Ajit’s side doesn’t want the organizational test since they don’t have the numbers to pass it.
“They know that 99% of the overwhelming majority of the NCP cadre is with the man standing next to me. The man who founded it, created it, dreamt it, propounded it, and the man who prospered NCP. They are saying to ignore the organizational test,” Singhvi said.
He mentioned the legislative majority test as the second argument.
“Second thing they are saying is that although the SC has clearly said that where there is a disqualification pending you can not apply the legislative majority test. But they said no, we will distinguish the SC in this way and that way. So they are also running away from the organizational test. They are out of the legislative majority test because the supreme court says no,” Singhvi said.
EXCLUSIVE ONLY ON THE NEW INDIAN | Pawar vs Pawar:
“We have 43 MLAs out of the 53, while we also have 6 of the 9 MLCs. Since, we have more MLAs, we should get the party as decided in the Sadiq Ali vs ECI case.”Ajit Pawar had said this in defence of his @NCPspeaks faction, as… pic.twitter.com/Oy8LDjTFS5
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) October 7, 2023
Singhvi further said that the Ajit Pawar faction is inventing a test on their own.
“But they have invented a test to suit themselves. The invented test is contrary to the Supreme Court which is to count the MPs, MLCs and MLAs. After that they add something I have never heard of, something that is non-existent in law which is to count the votes which the MP, MLA and MLC got,” Singhvi said.
“I have never heard of this test from Sadiq Ali to Subhash Desai to Udhav Thackrey’s case. In the Supreme Court’s judgments never has this test been applied,” he added.
EXCLUSIVE ONLY ON THE NEW INDIAN | PAWAR vs PAWAR:
“99% of NCP cadre stands with Sharad Pawar and Ajit’s faction is running away from this organisational test.”Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said this while representing NCP supremo Sharad Pawar during the ECI hearing between him… pic.twitter.com/9tSiwzZNpO
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) October 7, 2023
Singhvi informed the press that the next date for Ajit Pawar’s hearing is on Monday, October 9. He also said that they haven’t gotten their dates yet.